Monday, November 13, 2017: Drippy but highly fishable on the beach, boating a little less glowing.

Winds will be very variable all week – varying from light to moderate (near SCA), short-term. Throughout the week, we’ll see periods of south winds in the mix, along with stints of westerlies -- enough to smooth things nicely. This all points to a banner angling week for surfcasters. This could offer some of the highest surf fishing potential we’ve seen all season.

BASSING BOOM AND BUST: It’s exactly what surfcasters didn’t want to see – and boat anglers are celebrating to the high heavens.

For the first time in a cat’s age, we’re inundated with bass reports, overflowing with photos of eater-bass and also mega-bass to over 50 pounds. Those biggies and tons of small ‘uns might be signalling an arrriving boat-bite bonanza.

But why are surfcasters crying in their suds? Blame me if you must, since I was among the first to point out a direct correlation between bountiful boat bite and piss-poor shoreline stripering. It could have to do with bunker bait balls, which are out of surfcasting reach but close enough in to draw in bass from the near-beach shallows.

“But, Jay, we also got some stripers on the beach.”

Oh, ye of too much faith. While beachers were picking at widely scattered bass -- a single jumbo bass from the surf is grounds for alerting the media -- dozen atop dozens of better bass were being caught by drifting boats, not that far out. Boat anglers also ran into packs of schoolie bass, marked by hookups at every drop of the jig. Within that bite were just-keepers – top eaters – for take-home meat.

While admiring the wonderful look of finally-here stripers, I couldn't un-see an ugly showings of overkept fish. Overkept is my way of subtly suggesting that prime-gene trophy bass were unaccountably being coolered -- when 28-inchers were easily plentiful enough to feed all the starving families back home.

HATE-ME TIME: There is both blatant jealousy and riled conservationism within me after opening the fiftieth email showing hard-to-hoist bass being taken from off Island Beach and all the way down to Little Egg Inlet. I'm gung-ho about bagging bass for the table but the keeping of cows is enough to rankle my shankles.

While admiring the wonderful look of finally-here stripers, I couldn't un-see an ugly showings of overkept fish. Overkept is my way of subtly suggesting that prime-gene trophy bass were unaccountably being coolered -- when 28-inchers were easily plentiful enough to feed all the starving families back home.

Most anglers recognize the pressing ego demand to impress the boys back at the barn by weighing in comely cows. However, that talk-of-the-dock impact evaporates into nothingness when so many big-ass bass are being caught that onlooker soon wander off out of boredom. There is virtually no wow factor.

I lose beloved readers when I shoulder an antagonistically conservational save-big-bass responsibility. It’s kinda my lot in life. That lot assumed, I see on Facebook that I’m far from the only fish aficionado now chagrined by the over-keeping of cows. One fellow blogger announced he was no longer posting photographs of what he depicts as carnage over catching. I’m not that strict by any stretch, though I prefer displaying tastefully kept eater fish. Most photos down below show the keeping of good-yo-go eater fish. Also, a goodly number of the photos of boat-deck fish I'm getting are catch-pic-release. At the same time, I maintain that my pissing and moaning might get a few anglers recognizing that photographs of cows are meaty enough to bring home. You can even hang them on a stringer.

I'll duly note here that charter boat captains don't have the luxury of implementing any sort of on-board catch-pic-release polices -- if they want return customers. But fun fishermen definitely have the option.

Right about now, any irked boat bassers predictably point to my enthusiastic membership in the 2107 LBI Surf Fishing Classic. I hear: “You keep fish.” To which I snap back, “Are you serious, cap! There were more boat bass caught in just one hour this past weekend than will be kept for the entire nine-week Classic.”

Now look. I’ve let this deteriorate into an us-versus-them theme – and simply isn’t. I thoroughly enjoy boat fishing. Hey, it’s where it’s at, fish-wise. I’m sure I’ll be getting out there for this bass-a-thon. My entire intent is hopes of putting a dent in overkeeping.

years ago there used to be great striper fishing in new jersey. sandy hook to cape may had their respected fisheries, each town had their spots where guys would quietly go out on the right tides each night and catch fish from september through december and beyond. keeper sized fish (28"+) could be caught any night of the week, while 40" fish were less common but still seen frequently. The delaware bay was booming with striper fishermen, the cape may rips and the sloughs would be packed with boats, all catching fish, and 40lbers hit the scales on a daily basis when the run was full swing. once you got north of barnegat inlet the surf fisherman could go out and plug 20-40 fish a night with no problem, and those who fished the deeper points jetties and inlets often saw 25lb+ fish. fast forward to 2017, the delaware bay has become a wasteland of skates and dogfish, cape may/atlantic counties from shore to the 3 mile line is a dolphin and whale watcher destination, the boat striper fishermen are lucky to see the ass of the migration come through for a couple weeks in december but most if not all of the fall they have nothing. Surf anglers in the southern half of the state who used to catch some of the biggest bass in NJ now catch skates/dogs. the inlets backbays sods bridges and beaches that once echoed with popping bass are now quiet. The northern half of the state from ibsp to sandy hook had virtually no fish in sept/oct. Now the bait is thick along shore but with the south end of the state being a dead zone, the northern waters where bass still exist are becoming packed with fishermen and on a calm day like yesterday you are putting your life at risk by trying to navigate to a bait school. each year more and more people get into striper fishing and each year theres less and less fish. the limit of 1 fish at 28" was a step in the right direction but with lax enforcement and everyone looking for extra meat or fast cash, there are still too many people taking more than their limit, worse yet from the protected waters of the eez. 2006 was the peak of the striped bass, each year thereafter there has been fewer fish, that is a fact published by the asmfc and anyone who's been striper fishing that long can agree that there has been a steady decline in bass numbers. It was around 2011-2012 I stopped fishing in south jersey jersey and even here in Philly where 30" fish used to be common, stopped eeling for early fall runners from the inlets, because the fish simply werent there. I am lucky to have caught 1 striper over 28" this fall in only 2 trips out, the fish just havent been there this fall.. right now is absolutely prime time for striped bass and its so bad I dont even want to fish. Fish that came easy in years past now require work, and the fish you worked for in years past are now just a memory. grown men have been reduced to taking selfies with 20"ers and if thats what striper fishing has become then Im just about done with it

Great striper action yesterday on Compass Rose with Ben Smith of the BHM&TC. Fish sizes ranged from 25lb to 35lb.

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As predicted last report the end of this week the bass fishery should open up. And open up it did. Starting Thursday good number of slot fish to fish around 30” were found around the inlet and well into the bay. By the weekend this fishery even got better. I personally slipped out one morning and landed 10 bass from a short to 29”. Picture of a sunup shorty.

Then Sunday morning the big girls moved within striking distance of Barnegat Inlet. Unfortunately, I was busy not fishing. The fish ranged from 20 lb to 40 lb + At first light the bass were spraying big bunker and catching was easy. Attached is a picture of 13 year old Justin with a 41.5 lb cow caught on board my friend Capt Dan of the Becky D. Well this is what everyone has been waiting for so get out there!

It was a cold start today in terms of temperature, but it had no effect on the fish as we limited out in 1hr and 18 minutes. I had Chad Mackey, Joe Bumbarger, and Brad Bingham of Reading, PA on a 5hr Striped Bass charter. The guys worked hard for the entire trip, and ended with 8 fish to 34 inches including the Captains fish, they released another 20 that were in the keepable range. Awesome trip and epic bite working live baits.